SOURCE: TANJUGSKOPJE -- PM Ivica Dačić stated on Monday in Skopje that there were "only two open issues between Serbia and Macedonia".

Dačić honors the Macedonian flag, accompanied by Gruevski (Tanjug)

Speaking after his meeting with Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski, the Serbian prime minister specified that the two countries had different stands on the Kosovo issue, and regarding the relations between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the canonically unrecognized Macedonian Orthodox Church.Dačić also stated that he asked his Macedonian colleague "to remain neutral" when it comes to Kosovo - "while the Belgrade-Priština dialogue is still underway, because that would be his contribution to the dialogue".

Serbia and Macedonia have a common interest embodied in EU membership and in both countries wishing to be given a date for the start accession talks as soon as possible, he added.

"We want a date for accession talks to be set as soon as possible both for Serbia and Macedonia and we want all the countries in the region to become EU members," Dačić said.

"There is no danger from the north regarding Macedonia's survival and identity and Serbia can provide political assistance if needed," Dačić noted.

He underscored that Serbia expects Macedonia's attitude toward Serbia to be marked by friendship "because the two nations are friends".

The Serbian premier also told reporters that his talks with Gruevski also covered joint projects such as road and railway sections of Corridor 10 and gas lines between Serbia and Macedonia.

The Serbian prime minister noted that it is important for the two countries' companies to maintain good cooperation and pointed out that major projects cannot be discussed unless they are regional projects, noting that the Morava channel should be built that would connect Serbia with Thessalonica.

The project is over 100 years old and it should be examined whether its construction is justified because if proven positive, it would be one of the major projects in Europe of late, the prime minister said.

"For now this is only an idea, roads need to be built first," Dačić noted.

Dačić and Gruevski agreed that the issue of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Macedonian Orthodox Church was "not in the area of state issues", but they both expressed their willingness to provide assistance in order to reach a solution as soon as possible.

In this context, Dačić mentioned the issue of the SPC property.

Dačić said that he informed Gruevski about the talks with Priština and proposals that Serbia made in the dialogue so as to reach a compromise because Serbia wants peace and stability in the region, and added that the two countries' cooperation can serve as a major contribution to this.

The Macedonian prime minister said that the ties between Serbia and Macedonia were "exceptionally positive" and that there were few open issues between them - one related to the churches.

When it comes to the EU, Gruevski agreed with Dačić that reforms need to continue and expressed the expectation that both countries would get the date of accession talks at the forthcoming EU summit.

"This will be an assessment of our efforts and an encouragement for continuation of reforms we launched on our EU paths," the Macedonian prime minister said.

Dačić is in Skopje on a two-day visit and will later on Mondayc meet with Macedonian parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski.

The Serbian prime minister will also lay a wreath at a memorial honoring the fallen heroes of Macedonia.

Dačić, accompanied by Justice Minister Nikola Selaković, started his visit on Sunday.

The prime minister stated that his country "had no pretensions" toward Macedonia, and that the Serbian people wished to nurture "even friendlier relations" with their southern neighbor.

He attended an event in Skopje dedicated to Serbian St. Sava - as the Macedonian government declared January 27 a national holiday of Serbs living in that country.

Addressing the event, Dačić stated that "while Serbia and Macedonia may have had some unresolved issues", he was "certain that there is more understanding in Macedonia than anywhere else for the common problems faced by Serbs and Macedonians".

Moscow, January 29. (MIA). Russia considers Macedonia its key partner in the mission of stabilizing the Balkans, Russia's foreign chief Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with his Macedonian counterpart, Nikola Poposki, who arrived in Moscow for a round of talks.- We have a history of good relationships, there are no unsolved issues. There is considerable potential, and we should focus our efforts to help its realization, Lavrov said underscoring the importance of stronger ties with Macedonia, ITAR TASS and the Voice of Russia report.Russia opposes any redrawing of borders in Europe, in particular, in the Balkans, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.- We are against redrawing borders in Europe. Everybody should comply with the principles of the Helsinki Charter. This also concerns the situation in the Balkans, Lavrov said.Lavrov recalled that much blood was shed in the Balkans. "Nobody wants to see recurrence of such scenarios."Foreign minister Poposki assured that Skopje did not support nationalism and redrawing of borders. - Such activities will not lead to stability in the region, Poposki said.Macedonia sets a good example of peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians, representatives of different nations, he said.- The Balkan states are small and their interest is to seek integration and transparency, Poposki stated.At the meeting Poposki urged for bolstering cooperation with Russia in economic sphere, opportunity for direct Russian investments and especially building a leg of South Stream gas pipeline for gas distribution in Macedonia.He also underlined the importance of the meeting between Russian and Macedonian prime ministers Vladimir Putin and Nikola Gruevski which was held on June 2012 in St. Petersburg.Lavrov and Poposki at today's meeting also signed agreement on opening cultural centres in Moscow and Skopje and plan for consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

DOHA: Macedonian President Dr. George Ivanov has praised the high level of bilateral relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the State of Qatar, expressing hope to strengthen mutual cooperation in various fields.

In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Wednesday, the Macedonian President, currently visiting Qatar, stressed his country's keenness to develop relations of cooperation with Qatar in political, economic, cultural and educational spheres under the joint culture and history between the GCC countries and the Balkan Peninsula in general and the commonalities between the two countries in particular.

He also expressed his country's aspiration to take advantage of the march of the State of Qatar in the transition from an economy based on depleted natural resources to a knowledge-based economy by unlocking human potential in line with the social and technological development experienced by the younger generations around the world.

In this context, he referred to a number of common interests that can be developed between the two sides, including the two countries' keenness to spread the message of dialogue and alliance among civilizations that embodied through the Alliance of Civilizations Forum in which Qatar became a major partner and the initiative of Dialogue among Civilizations launched by Macedonia in 2003 under the auspices of former President Boris Trajkovski and in coordination with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Council of the European Union.

The Macedonian President Dr. George Ivanov emphasized the strength of the political and economic relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Macedonia that have evolved through the mutual official visits of the two country's leadership and senior officials.

In his interview with QNA, he praised the depth of cooperation between Qatar and Macedonia since HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani's visit to Macedonia in October 2011, which led to the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding, including the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Mutual Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

Dr. Ivanov noted to the fruitful results of his current and first official visit to Qatar, during which a memorandum of understanding for tourism cooperation between the Tourism Authority of the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Macedonia was signed.

An agreement between the two country's Chambers of Industry and Commerce will also be signed soon, he said.

At the conclusion of his speech, Dr. Ivanov called the Qatari people to visit Macedonia to see its cultural heritage and traditions and customs of the Macedonian people, wishing the existing relations between the two countries further development and growth. (QNA)

2/2/2013 3:21:38 PMSkopje, 2 February 2013 (MIA) - Minister of Labor and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski promoted Saturday the Youth Employment Action Plan 2015, aimed at improving institutional efficiency at the labor market and stimulating youth employment through private sector development.
The plan, targeting youth aged 15-29, stipulates that about 1,000 young people with secondary or university education are involved in internship programmes over a period of three months, training of 500 youth in start-up business, testing of all elementary school graduates for the purpose of their timely career guidance, as well as pilot-testing in several secondary schools.
Minister of Education and Science Pance Kralev said curricula and quotas for the economy's purposes are adapted in order to improve the youth employment conditions.
The Action Plan, implemented over a period of three years, is funded by EUR 27 million from the Budget and EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA).